The manipulation of rumen function through the removal of the ciliate protozoa has not resulted in consistent changes in ruminant production. Current research findings are discussed with particular emphasis given to the role of protozoa in fibre digestion in the rumen and the availability of protein for intestinal digestion. Dietary conditions under which positive responses to defaunation can b...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of presence or absence of protozoa on rumen fermentation and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis under different diets. Of 20 twin paired lambs, 1 lamb of each pair was isolated from the ewe within 24 h after birth and reared in a protozoa-free environment (n = 10), whereas their respective twin-siblings remained with the ewe (faunated, ...

The Formosan subterranean termite; Coptotermes formosanus is nutritionally dependent on the complex and diverse community of bacteria and protozoa in their gut. Although, there have been many studies to decipher the taxonomic and functional diversity of bacterial communities in the guts of termites, their bacteriophages remain unstudied. We sequenced the metavirome of the guts of Formosan subte...

The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of protozoa numbers in two types of rumensimulating fermenters [single-flow continuous culture fermenters (SFCCF) and semi-continuous flow fermenters (Rusitec)] receiving high-forage diets. Ruminal inoculum from sheep and goat were used in SFCCF trials, whereas only sheep inoculum was used for Rusitec fermenters. In both systems incubation ...

Legionella pneumophila proliferates in aquatic habitats within free-living protozoa, 17 species of which have been identified as hosts by using in vitro experiments. The present study aimed at identifying protozoan hosts for L. pneumophila by using a biofilm batch test (BBT). Samples (600 ml) collected from 21 engineered freshwater systems, with added polyethylene cylinders to promote biofilm f...

Protozoan contamination in produce is of growing importance due to their capacity cause illnesses consumers fresh leafy greens. Viability assays are essential accurately estimate health risk caused by viable parasites that contaminate food. We evaluated the efficacy reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), propidium monoazide coupled with (q)PCR, and viability staining using iodide thr...

Isotopic tracer experiments were conducted in vitro to determine contribution of protozoa toward the biosynthesis of lysine in the rumen microbial ecosystem. The presence of protozoa in a rumen microbial suspension always increased lysine synthesis from aspartate. Rumen contents from a faunated goat produced a higher amount of lysine than did those from a defaunated one.

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, is a costly invasive urban pest in warm and humid regions around the world. Feeding workers of the Formosan subterranean termite genetically engineered yeast strains that express synthetic protozoacidal lytic peptides has been shown to kill the cellulose digesting termite gut protozoa, which results in death of the termite colon...

Flagellated protozoa that cause bronchopulmonary symptoms in humans are commonly neglected. These protozoal forms which were presumed to be "flagellated protozoa" have been previously identified in immunosuppressed patients in a number of studies, but have not been certainly classified so far. Since no human cases of bronchopulmonary flagellated protozoa were reported from Turkey, we aimed to i...

PCR and real-time PCR primers for the 18S rRNA gene of rumen protozoa (Entodinium and Dasytricha spp.) were designed, and their specificities were tested against a range of rumen microbes and protozoal groups. External standards were prepared from DNA extracts of a rumen matrix containing known numbers and species of protozoa. The efficiency of PCR (epsilon) was calculated following amplificati...